iPhone and iPad designer leaves Apple

Jim Keller, the chief designer behind the A4 and A5 chips used in Apple's iPhone and iPad products has joined AMD as chief architect and VP

The 53-year-old Keller was most recently involved in the platform architecture on Apple mobile devices, where he designed the micro-processing chip used in Apple iPhones, iPads and Apple TV’s. He came to Apple as part of the company’s takeover of P.A. Semi in 2008.

In his new role at AMD, Keller will oversee the development and architecture orf AMD's micro-processor cores that the company says will be the foundation of its future products. As chief architect and Vice President at AMD, Keller will report to AMD's chief technology officer and senior vice president of technology and engineering Mark Papermaster, himself an employee of Apple until 2010.

In a statement published on 9to5Mac, Papermaster praised Keller saying, “Jim is one of the most widely respected and sought-after innovators in the industry and a very strong addition to our engineering team.”

"He has contributed to processing innovations that have delivered tremendous compute advances for millions of people all over the world, and we expect that his innovative spirit, low-power design expertise, creativity and drive for success will help us shape our future and fuel our growth.”